"I don't believe.. can't be true": Jimmy Fallon fans in disbelief as reports reveal alleged mistreatment in Tonight Show

A still of Jimmy Fallon (Image via Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Jimmy Fallon is best known for his warmth and graciousness as the host of Tonight Show, one of the most popular TV shows of all time, but a recent report from Rolling Stone challenges everything viewers know and think about the show and its top-rated host.

In an exclusive report published on Thursday, September 7, Rolling Stone allegedly caught up with 16 current and former employees of the Tonight Show. These anonymous staffers painted a picture of workplace toxicity in what is so many people’s dream job. One of the former employees told Rolling Stone:

“It’s a bummer because it was my dream job...Writing for late night is a lot of people’s dream jobs, and they’re coming into this, and it becomes a nightmare very quickly. It’s sad that it’s like that, especially knowing that it doesn’t have to be that way.”

Out of the many former and current staff members Rolling Stone contacted, most did sing praises of Jimmy Fallon’s talent but also had nothing positive to say about the work culture on his show.

This seems to have shaken fans online, who all took to social media to express their shock at this development, with many refusing to believe this could be true.

A tweet reply to DF's post about the Tonight Show (Image via X)

Twitter goes into frenzy as Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show falls under the radar of toxic work culture

Rolling Stone’s latest report allegedly delved into the work culture of Tonight Show inside out, contacting over 50 past and present employees, all of whom decided to remain anonymous. Despite this, they gave accounts of many incidents that could seriously damage the show’s reputation.

DF's post about the Tonight Show (Image via X)

Despite possessing the talent required to run something this big, Fallon seems to be not a favorite in the work environment. Apart from Jimmy Fallon, many workers reportedly accused the entire hierarchy in the show, indicating a far less-than-desirable work culture.

Jimmy Fallon is not the first talk show host to face this situation. Ellen Degeneres, another popular talk show, also came under the media radar after being accused of creating a toxic work culture. Ellen ended up exiting the show after 19 years.

It seems this will be a debate that will rage on for quite some time. The future of Jimmy Fallon or Tonight Show is also not set in stone if the accusations gather momentum and turn out to be true.

Edited by Shreya Das